TOM Morton and Steve Riddle pounded 14 boundaries off the initial eight overs of the South Wilts innings to set up a comprehensive 106-run victory over much fancied ECB Southern Electric Premier League rivals St Cross Symondians at the Green Jackets Ground, Winchester, writes Mike Vimpany.

The opening pair gleefully picked off anything remotely loose, with Jack Bransgrove (0-28) and Richard Taylor (0- 20) blown out of the St Cross attack after conceding 48 runs in their four overs.

The boundary blitz by Morton (45) and Riddle (50) sent South Wilts racing to 129- 2. Jordan Finney (2-50) eventually had each of the pair caught.

Eddie Abel (49) and James Hibberd (19) improved South Wilts’ situation before James Hayward (35) and Ryan Burl, with three sixes out of the ground in his 56 (no), launched a pre-tea assault to send the defending Premier Division champions racing to 271-5.

St Cross needed a century from one of their top four batsmen if they were to challenge South Wilts’ score, but they were never at the races.

St Cross fell to 46-3 before New Zealander Billy Walsh (34) began to repair the damage, alongside Richard Logan, with whom he effectively doubled the total.

But Logan (50) eventually became one of four victims for left-arm spinner Eddie Abel (4-18) as St Cross sank to 169 all out.